Izaak

Please god have this man take a class on writing women as people

Fantastically weird and tightly-written; just a really fun read.

This work, as much poetry as it is prose, chronicles the downward spiral of sophomoric teenage college student Esther Greenwood. Plath's voice creates Esther as sardonic and misfit, acting as both victim and brutal enforcer to the social and gender roles of her time.
While Esther's petty snap judgments and internal dressing-down of all those who surround her never truly ceases, her growth beyond obedience to absurd self-held maxims chronicles the most important of journeys that one makes in the transition from young adult to adult.

Wraps up the core story really nicely, and has solid lead female characters for '90s sci-fi (with only one weird 70-year age-gap that's totally acceptable 😉)

ETA: There's far less breasting boobily than was commonplace at the time, and I applaud the novel for having female characters with agency as much as it does, but be aware that this is definitely character-driven sci-fi from the '80s/'90s and is best viewed through the lens of its time.

Ringing in from an era wherein sci-fi was still finding and discovering itself, Bester's view of a far-off future of telepaths and latent abilities carries his hallmark style of writing. Even if it's not the longest novel, it is enjoyable and fun as it jostles the reader through the ruins of century XX New York and Mars. For the weird teen-aged era of sci-fi, Bester is remarkably prescient. His grasp of the human condition and the way in which we conduct ourselves in regards to others, while pseudo-sciencey at times, holds true and is fascinating to watch unfold.
In addition, Bester's usage of technology is apt and accurate, even 60+ years later. The telepathic communications between characters could be pulled straight out of modern times.